Palace of Whitehall Palace

The Palace of Whitehall was the principal residence of English monarchs in London from the 16th and 17th centuries, located on the north bank of the Thames in the Westminster area. The palace complex once covered a large area but was largely destroyed by fire in 1698.

Today the most prominent surviving building is the Banqueting House, designed by Inigo Jones in the early 17th century; it houses a celebrated ceiling painted by Peter Paul Rubens. Most of the original palace precincts were replaced by government buildings and parade grounds in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The palace began as Cardinal Wolsey’s York Place before it passed to Henry VIII in the 16th century and expanded as a royal residence used for court life and state occasions until the late 17th century when the main complex burned.

The original site lies in central London on Whitehall, close to Westminster and the riverfront; the Banqueting House and surrounding public parade areas mark the historic footprint.

• Survival of Banqueting House: A catastrophic fire in 1698 destroyed most of the palace; the Banqueting House is the principal surviving structure and the best place to view original architecture and decoration.
• Rubens ceiling: The Banqueting House ceiling was painted by Peter Paul Rubens in the early 17th century and remains a key artistic highlight on site.

What to See#

• Banqueting House: A 17th-century classical building designed by Inigo Jones that is the only major surviving part of the original palace; it contains the famous ceiling paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and is open as a historic site.
• Palace site and grounds: The former palace grounds now accommodate government offices and public parade spaces, including the area around Horse Guards and the route of modern Whitehall.

The Palace of Whitehall stood in central Westminster; the historic site is on Whitehall near Trafalgar Square and Horse Guards Parade.

Reach it by London Underground to Westminster (Jubilee, District, Circle) or Charing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern) and walk a few minutes along Whitehall - the area is in the heart of central London and easily reached on foot from nearby stations.

• Visit the surviving Banqueting House on Whitehall early in the day to see Rubens' ceiling painting with fewer visitors; the Banqueting House is the principal visible remnant of the former Palace of Whitehall.
• Approach from Whitehall rather than Westminster Bridge to avoid confusion with nearby government buildings and to find the museum entrance and informational panels that explain the palace's footprint.
• Pause at the site's plaques and the surrounding streets-many people miss the surviving street-level traces and interpretive panels that indicate where wings and royal apartments once stood.